Cheesy Crunchy Carnitas
We already love our Slow Cooker Crispy Carnitas. Straight out of the fridge for a little afternoon snack, or as part of a Sweet Potato Carnitas Hash for breakfast, our flavorful slow-cooked pulled pork recipe is a hero ingredient in all forms. Time to stop making one ingredient quesadillas (we see you zip top bag of shredded cheese), and start making these pulled pork carnitas quesadillas with roasted poblano peppers.
A Tasty, Filling, Budget-Friendly Recipe
We need dinner to be a lot of things, and this pork quesadilla recipe does the work. It makes the most out of all of the ingredients. Broiled poblano peppers bring a smoky earthiness and mozzarella cheese graces everything with its lactic meltiness. Slow-cooked pork shoulder–a cut that tastes best when cooked slow and low, and is easy on the wallet–finishes this trifecta for a three ingredient meal that everyone will love.
Roasted Poblano and Carnitas Quesadilla Ingredients
This really is a three ingredient dinner. Plus tortillas.
Poblano peppers – Charred and cut into strips. Poblanos are mild, but offer a little more heat than the standard bell pepper. Really tasty in our Sweet and Smoky Bean and Corn Salsa too.
Shredded mozzarella – Not just for shoving into your mouth straight from the bag out of the refrigerator. This highly meltable cheese seals everything together (see Manicotti for reference).
Shredded carnitas – We recommend making a big batch each week, because it’s a versatile and budget-friendly cut of pork that goes the extra mile.
Corn tortillas – Buy a big stack. If you don’t use them immediately, they freeze well. Just wrap them tightly in foil, and then plastic wrap for maximum freshness. Or make your own Homemade Corn Tortillas. Totally worth it.
How To Cook Poblano Peppers?
Brush with olive oil. Place peppers on a baking sheet or in an ovenproof skillet and using a pastry brush, cover them with olive oil. Alternatively, you can rub the peppers with olive oil using your hands. Peppers get oiled, hands get moisturized. Two birds, one stone.
Broil. With a set of tongs, turn the peppers once, until the skins are charred, about 8 minutes.
Peel. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on the baking sheet. You can expedite the process by placing the peppers in a bowl and covering it tightly with plastic wrap. Once cool to the touch, the peppers will slip easily from the skin.
Clean. Discard the charred skin, seeds, core and stems.
Cut the peppers into ½-inch strips.
Prepare This Meal In Advance, Future You Will Thank You
Carnitas freeze really well. Just make sure everything is cooled to room temperature before freezing. We recommend freezing in smaller quantities, because once thawed you’ll need to consume it that day.
Corn tortillas are a freezer’s good friend. Fresh masa can be frozen until needed to press into tortillas. You can also freeze tortillas, homemade or store bought, and warm on a skillet over medium heat.
Cooked quesadillas also freeze nicely. Find a nice flat place in your freezer, seal them in an air-tight bag, and store for up to two months.
This recipe is all about those pork carnitas. Should you have some Shredded Chicken around, you could also use that, but we recommend consulting our Baked Chicken Quesadillas recipe to add flavor.
You could definitely make these vegetarian by foregoing the carnitas. Broiled poblano peppers are a super flavorful way to prepare peppers.
More Great Recipes To Fill Tortillas (Plus One Great Pork Recipe)
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